SJR  4-NATURAL GAS FOR STATE RESIDENTS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:32:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ELLIS  announced SJR 4  to be  up for consideration  and it                                                               
had a CS.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI,  sponsor of  SJR 4, said  the CS  had three                                                               
changes. The  first was on  page 2,  line 11, where  "the state's                                                               
first priority must  be to ensure the  availability of affordable                                                               
natural gas  to meet the  needs of the  people of the  state" was                                                               
changed to  "the state must  have as a priority  the availability                                                               
of affordable natural gas to meet the needs of its people;".                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The second  change was  on page  2, line  15, ",  in coordination                                                               
with  the  Department  of Natural  Resources,"  was  added  after                                                               
"attorney general" at the request of the department.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:34:16 PM                                                                                                                    
The third change was on page  2, line 16, where "termination" was                                                               
changed to "nonrenewal".                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELLIS  said the  committee had heard  from the  public when                                                               
the bill was originally before the committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS  moved to  adopt CSSJR  4(L&C), version  E. There                                                               
were no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE  said he was  still concerned about  the definition                                                               
of "affordable"  gas and added  that the  gas belongs to  all the                                                               
people in the state and they  shouldn't have to subsidize gas for                                                               
people who  live in  Southcentral Alaska.  He also  remarked that                                                               
SJR 4 was only a  resolution and as Representative Lisa Murkowski                                                               
once said about  resolutions, "Do you think  anybody really reads                                                               
this stuff?"                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:36:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS  asked  Senator   Wielechowski  if  he  saw  any                                                               
indication in the  resolution that the state  would subsidize gas                                                               
for the Southcentral region of Alaska.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI replied  no, and that is not  the intent. He                                                               
just  wants the  producers to  work with  the local  utilities to                                                               
find a  way to provide  affordable gas to Southcentral  homes and                                                               
businesses.  He  did  look into  defining  "affordable",  but  it                                                               
turned into a "real rabbit hole" of subjective terminology.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:37:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BUNDE pointed out that  the woman from AKPIRG wanted this                                                               
to be  a welfare item  and that meant  it would be  subsidized at                                                               
some point.  If some people  in the state  want to pay  less than                                                               
market  value  for  gas,  that   means  the  rest  of  the  state                                                               
subsidizes it.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI responded:                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     This is our  gas. This gas belongs to  all Alaskans and                                                                    
     frankly  I  would  rather  provide   low  cost  gas  to                                                                    
     Alaskans than  low cost  gas to  the Japanese.  I don't                                                                    
     think  this  is  a  subsidy;  I  don't  think  this  is                                                                    
     welfare.  This is  Alaskans using  their gas  for their                                                                    
     home and their business heating needs.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:38:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS moved  to  pass CSSJR  4(L&C),  version E,  from                                                               
committee with individual recommendations.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE objected.  A roll  call vote  was taken.  Senators                                                               
Davis, Stevens and  Ellis voted yea; Senator Bunde  voted nay and                                                               
so CSSJR 4(L&C) moved from committee.